Dispensing match-holder.



C. H` ODELL.

DISPENSING MATCH HOLDER. APPLlcMI'oN FILED FEB. le. 1916.

Patented Jan. 16, 1917.

CALEB H. ODELL, F NEW" YGRK, N.

DISPENSING MATCH-HOLDER.

Application filed February 18, 18216.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, CALEB H. UDELL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of the Bronx, in the county of the Bronx and State of New York, have invented a new and lmproved Dispensing Match-Holder, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to match holders of that type by which matches are dispensed one at a time from a reservoir by the manual operation of a dispensing means.

The invention has for its general objects to improve and simplify the construction and operation of devices of the character re ferred to so as to be reliable and eihcient in use, comparatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, and so designed as to insure safety for the storage of matches.

A. more specific object of the invention is the provision of a dispensing device for matches, toothpieks or other articles through the medium of an oscillatory drum that picks up an article from the reservoir or hopper and delivers it to the point of dis charge, and in combination with such dispensing means is a combined shelf and actuator operatively connected with the drum to oscillate the same, and also forming a shelf upon which the article dispensed discharges and rests in a manner convenient to be picked up, the oscillation of the drum insuring the proper alining or parallelizing of the articles in the hopper, so that one of the articles can be picked up by the groove or pocket in the periphery of the drum'.

With such objects in view, and others which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention comprises various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be set forth with particularity in the following description and claims appended hereto.

ln the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one embodiment of the invention and wherein similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, Figure l is a perspective view of the match holder showing a match dispensed; Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical sections showing the work ing parts in their two eXtreme positions; and Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line M, lFig. 3.

Referring to the drawing, A designates a homlike frame made of metal or other suit- Speoifcation of Letters atent.

Patented Jaunu iti, tt?.

Serial No. 79,037.

able material and so shaped and designed as to be used on a table, desk or the like, or hung up on the wall. Vlhe rame or casing has at its top a reservoir, magazine or hopper l that is closed at its top by a lid or cover 2 and the bottom of the hopper is formed by downwardly converging plates 3 and lwhich are separated at their lower edges to form an opening 5 which is preferably several times wider than the diameters of the articles to be dispensed. Birectly under the opening 5 is an oscillatory drum, carrier or equivalent dispensing device G which forms a closure or valve for the opening This drum is journaled on the side walls 7 of the casing by screws or equivalent elements 8 which pass through openings in the walls and screw into the ends of the drum or roller 6. ln the periphery of the drum is a longitudinal pocket or groove 9 which, by the oscillation of the drum, moves into and out of a position to take up an article, such as a match 10, in the hopper 1. The receiving position of the drum 6 is shown in Fig. 3, where the groove or pocket 9 is adjacent the rear bottom plate Il. rlhe drum in dispensing a match or other articles moves forwardly through a suitable arc until the match drops out of the pocket 9. By the rotation of the drum a rolling action is produced on those articles which bear on the periphery of the drum, and consequently the articles are caused to assume a parallel relation to each other and to the groove or pocket 9, whereby the picking up of an article by the pocket is insured.

For oscillating the drum a combined actuator and receiver is employed. This is in the form of a slightly curved hollow shelf 11 which is set into the lower open part of the front of the casing, and swings on an axle 12 at its rear edge, the axle having its ends 13 journaled in the side walls of the casing. A curved arm lll extends rearwardly from the shelf 11 and is connected by a link 15 with one end of the drum at a, point suitably remote from the axis of rotation thereof. Thus, by the swinging of the shelf vor reeeiver 11 up or down, the drum 6 is oscillated. By the depression of the shelf from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 2, the drum is rotated so that the ar4 ticle picked up by the pocket 9 will be carried forwardly and downwardly and dropped on the receiver 11, the operator simply pressing down by the finger on the front rounded or beaded edge 16 of the receiver. It the shelf or receiver be normally in its lower position, as shown in Fig. Q., the operator first raises the shelf l1 so as to enable an article to drop into the pocket of the drum, and then the shelf is pressed downwardly to dispense the article.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the advantages of the construction and method 'of operation will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while l have described the Vprinciple of operation, together with the article which l now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the article shown is merely illustrative and that'such changes may be madeV when desired as `tall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. A device of the class described comprising Va supporting structure including a hopper open at its bottom, a reciprocatory element forming a valve at the opening oit the hopper and provided with a pocket for picking up an article from the hopper, and a combined actuator and receiver in the form of a single member mounted on the structure and operatively connected with the element for impartingv movement thereto and arranged to receive the dispensed article.

2. An article1 dispensing device comprising a casing formed with a hopper at its top which has an opening in its bottom and also formed with an open front below the hopper, a swinging shelf in the opening of the casing, and a rotary dispensing element operatively connected with the shelf to receive an article from the hopper and discharge it upon the shelf, said shelf constituting the actuator for the dispensing element, and the axis of the dispensing element being spaced from the axis on which the sheltI swings.

3. An article dispensing device co1nprising a casing containing a hopper having a discharge opening in its bottoni, a drum under the opening and forming a valve therefor and provided with a longitudinal pocket to receive an article through the opening, said opening being of such size that a plurality of articles will constantly rest on the drinn, a swinging shell pivoted in lront oi the drum and adapted to swing on an axis parallel with the drum, an arni connected with the bottom of the shelf and extending rearwardly therefrom, and a link connected with the arm and with the drum tor oseillating the latter by the swinging oll the shelf, whereby an article is carried by the drum from the hopper and dropped on the shelf.

4. An article dispensing device comprising a casing having an open bottom hopper, a drum jonrnaled under the hopper to 'l'orm a valve therefor and provided with means for picking up an article in the hopper and moving it therefrom, a pivoted shelf disposed in the casing in front of the drum to receive articles therefrom, and cormecting means between the sheli and drum, whereby7 the up and down movement oif the shelf actuates the drum.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to-this specilication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CALEB H. ODELL.

Vitnesses C. BnADwAY, PHILIP D. RoLLi-IAUS.

Copier of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

i Washington, D. C. 

